Positioning apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus having a seat having flexible skirt and a flexible, inflatable bag connected to the seat. The bag has a chamber with an inlet and an outlet that are controlled by respective valves. The valve of the inlet is connectable to a pressurized fluid source and the bag is adapted for inflating and deflating for moving the seat and an individual into and from within a tub or vessel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The subject invention relates to an apparatus for positioning anindividual.

More particularly, the subject invention relates to an apparatus forpositioning an individual into and relative to a large container.

2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

In the health care industry there are various apparatus for assistingthe older individuals and the physically impaired. Examples of some ofthese type apparatus are hand rails to help support a person when he isentering a bath tub, a treating vessel or is attempting to positionhimself at a specific location. For individuals of more extremedisability, hospitals sometimes have an overhead system of rails, aplatform and pulley system for moving a person relative to a vessel andlowering the person into the vessel and out of the vessel. More often,however, such manipulation of a patient is undesirably accomplished byone or more orderlies having to lift and move the patient.

Irrespective of the systems or methods heretofore used, the equipmentand manpower represents a significant waste of time and expenditure.

The present invention is directed to overcome one or more of theproblems, as set forth above.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An apparatus for positioning an individual has a seat, an inflatable.flexible bag, and a pair of valves. The seat has a flexible skirt. Thebag has a chamber, a chamber inlet, a chamber outlet. The bag isconnected to the seat. First and second valves are each connected to arespective bag inlet and outlet. The inlet valve is connectable to apressurized fluid source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a partial sectioned side view of the apparatus of thisinvention positioned in a bath tub;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 with the apparatus of thisinvention in a deflated condition; and

FIG. 3 is a partial sectioned top view of the tub and the apparatus ofthis invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus of this invention has a seat12, an inflatable, flexible bag 14 and first and second valves 16,17.

The seat 12 has a flexible skirt 20 and is connected to the bag 14. Theflexible skirt is of a construction to forcibly engage the sides 22,24and back of a bath tub or vessel 28 during inflation and deflating ofthe bag and resultant substantially vertical movement of the seat 12within the tub 28. It should be understood that the apparatus isintended for use any type vessel into which it is desirable to lower anindividual for bathing, treatment, or any other reason.

The flexible skirt 20 is preferable formed of rubber but can beconstructed of any other deformable material which will follow thecontours of the vessel 28 during movement of the seat and willsubstantially fill the space between the seat 12 and the walls of thevessel 28. Another example of the material of the skirt 20 would beorganic plastic material.

The flexible skirt 20 is connected to and extends about the outerperiphery of the seat 12 and downwardly therefrom a distance in therange of about 2 to about 6 inches, preferably about 4 inches. Adistance less than about 2 inches is undesirable because of less thandesirable sealing area and a distance greater than about 6 inches isundesirable because it would not permit an individual to be sufficientnear the bottom of the tub 28 thereby requiring a waste of extra liquidin the tub to reach a desired level on the individual.

The inflatable, flexible bag 14 is preferably formed of rubber but canbe formed of any material that will contain fluid under moderatepressure. Such other materials might be organic plastics, for example.The bag 14 has a chamber 30, an inlet 32 and an outlet 34. In thepreferred embodiment, the bag 14 is of a general accordion typeconstruction in order to provide uniform stacking of the bag 14 duringdeflating operations. First and second valves 16,17 are connectedrespectively to the inlet 32 and outlet 34 of the bag 14. The inlet 32of the bag 14 and valve 16 are connectable to a pressurized fluid source36 which is controllably brought into and from communication with thebag chamber via the inlet valve 16.

The pressurized fluid source 36 is one of air or water, preferably air.FIG. 2 shows a pressurized fluid source 36 which is air and which isgenerated by a motor 38 and a pneumatic pump 40. The motor 38 ispreferably an electrically operated motor. FIG. 1 shows the pressurizedfluid source being the water supply of a utility company or otherpressurized water source.

Referring to FIG. 3, first and second guiding members 42,44 are eachconnected to a respective opposed side 22,24 of the tub 28 and extendsubstantially vertically with said seat skirt 20 in sliding engagementtherewith. It should be understood however that the skirt 20 can beformed of different materials. For example, the skirt portions of theback and side portions of the seat 12 can be formed of rubber with thefront portion of the seat formed of organic plastic in contact with theguiding members 42,44.

In the operation of the apparatus of this invention, the bag is inflatedwith the seat 12 positioned adjacent an upper edge of the tub 28. Anindividual steps into the tub 28, sits down, and valve 17 is opened andthe bag 14 responsively deflates thereby lowering the individual intothe tub 28for bathing or treatment.

When ready to leave the tub, valve 17 is closed and valve 16 is openwhich allows fluid to enter the bag chamber 14, inflate the bag andresponsively raises the seat 12 to a position adjacent the top of thetub 28 at which the individual can more easily and conveniently enterand exit the seat 12 and tub 28.

Other aspects, objects, and advantages will become apparent with a studyof the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims.

1. An apparatus for positioning an individual, comprising: a seat havinga flexible skirt; an inflatable, flexible bag having a chamber, achamber inlet, a chamber outlet and being connected to the seat; andfirst and second valves each connected to a respective bag inlet andoutlet, said inlet valve being connectable to a pressurized fluidsource.
 2. A positioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein theseat and bag are adapted to be moveably positionable within a bath tub.3. A positioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the seat isadjacent a top of the tub in the inflated condition of the bag andadjacent a bottom of the tub in a deflated condition of the bag.
 4. Apositioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the seatflexible skirt is of a construction to forcibly engage the sides andback of the bath tub during inflation and deflating of the bag andresultant substantially vertical movement of the seat within the bathtub.
 5. A positioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, includingfirst and second guiding members each connected to a respective side ofthe tub and extending substantially vertically with said seat skirt insliding engagement therewith.
 6. A positioning apparatus, as set forthin claim 1, wherein the flexible skirt of the seat is formed of rubber.7. A positioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein thepressurized fluid is one of water or air.
 8. A positioning apparatus, asset forth in claim 7, wherein the pressurized fluid is air and the airis pressurized by a motor connected to a pump which is connectable tothe bag inlet.
 9. A positioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 1,wherein the flexible skirt of the seat extends about the outer peripheryof the seat and downwardly therefrom a distance in the range of about 2to about 6 inches.
 10. A positioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 1,wherein the flexible skirt of the seat extends about the outer peripheryof the seat and downwardly therefrom a distance of about 4 inches.
 11. Apositioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bag isformed of rubber.
 12. A positioning apparatus, as set forth in claim 1,wherein the bag is of general accordion type construction.